Valve and Linux walk into a bar, and somehow we have the future of gaming

Gabe Newell is still pushing this Linux thing, huh? Speaking at LinuxCon in New Orleans today, the Valve co-founder said, "It feels a little big funny coming here and telling you guys that Linux and open source are the future of gaming. It's sort of like going to Rome and teaching Catholicism to the pope."

The twenty people in attendance applauded and laughed, so Newell followed up that joke with an announcement.

"Next week we're going to be rolling out more information about how we get there and what are the hardware opportunities we see for bringing Linux into the living room."

Ever since Windows 8 released, Newell has been going all Linux-crazy, raving about the open-source system. There's been little talk about the Steam Box as of late, but all this Linux talk is surely going to lead to it next week. Linux is fine and all, but mainstream gamers are really unfamiliar with it. If it is the future of gaming, that future is a long ways off. A Linux-based Steam Box for the living room won't change that, either.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com